Summer reading is upon us! If you’re anything like me, you have lists of the lists of books you want to read this summer. I am a bit overwhelmed with all the options I have before me. I wanted to do something fun for the summer, maybe select a theme to my reading. But that sounds like a lot of work on top of the reading I want to do, and I’m a bit spent creatively at the moment. And then the skies opened up and gave me the answer!

I listen to this super cool podcast called Books on the Nightstand and in their latest episode, they announced they created Summer Reading Bingo Cards. In each square is a genre or type of book. They range from “Science Fiction” to “With Only Words on the Cover” to “Reread Something.” BOTNS is keeping it super loosey goosey and letting everyone decide how they want to play along, which is super cool, but I like structure so I made up rules. I would love it if you’d join me!

How I’m doing this:

1. Print out the card Follow this link and print out your card. You can scan the categories and refresh until you get a set you really like, or just go with the first one you get. I refreshed once, as per BOTNS’s instructions.

2. Fill in your free space I’m already reading something, so I’ve decided to let that count as my free space. I filled in the box on my card with the title.

3. Check back here for the next square I’ve cut up a copy of my card and have the pieces in a nifty little container. I’m going to draw a new piece every three weeksSunday starting on Sunday, June 1st. (Since I now have the full list of categories, I’m going to pull more often. Also not all the categories will be on everyone’s card, so more categories = more chances to win! This does NOT mean you have to read a book a week, just choose the categories that help you fill in your row. You know, like Bingo!) Follow me on Twitter or check this post on those days, I’ll list the claimed squares below along with the book I’m using for the square. This is technically a summer challenge, but since we’re doing this Bingo style we have to go until someone gets five in a row.

I’m hoping this will not only mimic actual Bingo, but also force me to step outside of my usual reading patterns. I don’t read a lot of science fiction, or any poetry, so if those come up then I get a challenge. And I love a good challenge!

If you’re with me, let me know in the comments. I’ll try to set up a giveaway or a prize for whoever reaches Bingo first.

(Fine Print: You won’t be allowed to claim a prize until after August 31st to make sure it’s at least possible all the books were read. When you contact me to claim a prize, send a picture of your card and the books you read. I reserve the right to add to this list of rules as I come up with them.)

BINGO SQUARES

1. Free Space — Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. Poetry Collection

3. An Audiobook — Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

4. Recommended by BOTNS — The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (Find other titles in the BOTNS Database)

5. Science Fiction — Redshirts by John Scalzi

6. From a Used Book Store

7. With a One-WordTitle — Torch by Cheryl Strayed

8. By an Author of a Different Culture — The Dinner by Herman Koch

9. Six Words or More in the Title — The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

10. Borrowed from the Library

11. Has been on your TBR for longer than two years

12. That “everyone” but you has read — Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

13. That you saw someone else reading — Landline by Rainbow Rowell

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7 thoughts on “Summer Reading Bingo!”

Awesome, thanks for playing along! If you want to play with your listeners, who may have a different card than you, you will want the full list of words to do the random draw. Here it is:
Translation
Graphic novel
By an author of a different gender
By an author of a different culture
Longer than 500 pages
Borrowed from the library
Reread something
Young Adult novel
Nonfiction
Historical Fiction
10 short stories
Poetry collection
Currently on the bestseller list
Recommended in a BOTNS episode
Published before 1970
Six words or more in the title
Set in another country
Set in the place where you live
By an author who shares your first name
That you started but never finished
That you think you will dislike
Cozy Mystery
Science Fiction
Thriller/Suspense
By a small press
A novella
Part of a series
Recommended by a librarian or bookseller
Recommended by a family member
A classic that you should have read in school
Has been on your TBR for longer than two years
Found in a used bookstore
With only words on the cover
Published in 2014
With a number in the title
With a one-word title
With a red cover
Biography or memoir
Middle-grade book (ages 8-12)
An audiobook
A play
Fantasy
That you chose because of the cover
That you saw someone else reading
With an animal on the cover
With a child on the cover
That “everyone” but you has read
By any Booktopia author (full list here: http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/booktopia-author-alumni/)